Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has accused Apple of deliberately withholding new features in Europe to put pressure on regulators. His comments come after Apple confirmed that its Live Translation feature for AirPods will not be available to users in the European Union at launch.
Sweeney argued that Apple could roll out the feature but has chosen not to, framing the move as a strategy to push EU consumers into lobbying lawmakers. “Apple could easily release it, they just choose not to – to pressure Apple users to pressure EU legislators to abandon antitrust law enforcement,” Sweeney wrote on X. He also pointed to USB-C adoption as proof that EU pressure can benefit consumers, noting that Apple now highlights the connector in its own ads.
Apple blames regulations
Apple has said the Digital Markets Act (DMA) is behind the restriction. On its support page for iOS 26, the company explained that users in the EU, or those with EU-based Apple IDs, cannot activate Live Translation on AirPods. According to Apple, interoperability requirements under the DMA are the reason for the delay.
Tech analyst Daniel Castro echoed Apple’s framing, calling it an example of “the unintended consequences of the DMA.” In a post on X, he said the restriction blocks a feature with “a clear consumer benefit.”
What this means for EU users
EU-based Apple customers cannot enable Live Translation when both their device location and Apple ID region fall inside the EU. Users who switch on the feature outside the region keep it active when they return, but Apple warns that changing an Apple ID to a non-EU country disrupts billing and app availability.
Apple has also signaled that privacy and regulatory compliance remain major hurdles in Europe. The EU enforces strict rules on how companies process voice and translation data, and features involving real-time communication often face extended certification timelines. Combined with uncertainty over how the DMA will be enforced, these factors leave Apple cautious about enabling Live Translation in Europe.
